Mansur Movlaev's arrest has been extended.

A Kazakh court has extended the detention of Chechen native Mansur Movlaev, who is facing extradition to Russia, by two months. Neither Mansur nor his lawyers were present at the hearing.

As reported by the Caucasian Knot, the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan has suspended the extradition of Chechen native Mansur Movlaev to Russian authorities pending the final review of his asylum application. Human rights defenders and activists considered the complaint filed by the Chechen native's defense to the UN Human Rights Committee and the decision of the Supreme Court of Kazakhstan suspending the extradition process to be interconnected. On February 26, Movlaev's lawyers demanded the examination of witnesses and the recusal of the judge who had attempted to complete the consideration of his appeal against the denial of asylum in Kazakhstan in a single hearing. The Specialized Interdistrict Administrative Court of the Akmola Region ruled that the denial of asylum in Kazakhstan to Mansur Movlaev, a native of Chechnya, was lawful. The defense intends to appeal this decision.

On May 8, 2026, the Almaty Investigative Court extended Mansur Movlaev's extradition arrest for another 2 months, until July 2026, the Instagram* public page free_Mansour_Mowlaev reported.

"The hearing was held without Mansur's participation; without the participation of his lawyers; despite the current interim measures of the UN Human Rights Committee; despite the position of the UN Special Rapporteur on the risk of torture, ill-treatment and extrajudicial execution in case of extradition," the report said.

Part 9 of Article 589 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan allows for the extension of extradition arrest after 12 months only in two cases: to organize transfer and to consider an appeal against the extradition order.

But The complaint against the Prosecutor General's Office's decision on extradition has already been reviewed; the actual extradition has been suspended by the Supreme Court of the Republic of Kazakhstan until the asylum procedure is completed; transfer is currently legally impossible. This means that there are no grounds expressly provided for by law, the report states.

The "Caucasian Knot" reported that in 2022, Mansur Movlaev was detained by security forces in Chechnya and held in an illegal prison. After escaping from there, he was able to reach Kyrgyzstan in January 2023. In August 2023, security forces in Kyrgyzstan detained Movlaev, who was wanted in Russia for financing extremist activity. A court in Bishkek sentenced Movlaev to six months in prison and subsequent deportation from the country. On November 20, 2023, Movlaev was released, but the decision to deport him remained in effect, and he voluntarily left Kyrgyzstan to avoid being sent home. In May 2025, Movlaev, who had been placed on the wanted list by the Shali District Department of Chechnya, was detained in Kazakhstan and placed under extradition arrest.

Mansur Movlaev also reported the kidnapping of his relatives by security forces in Chechnya. "Two of my brothers, Zelimkhan and Khamzat, have been kidnapped. They are being held and tortured, in an attempt to put pressure on me," he said.